Life-boat



(No Model.)

P. MESSINA.

LIFE BOAT.

No. 453,048. Patented May 26,1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEtcE.

FELIX MESSINA, OF NEV ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

Ll FE-BOAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 458,048, dated May 26, 1891.

Application 'u'let'l October 20, 1890. Serial No. 368,759. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FELIX MESSINA, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Life-Boat; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in a life-boat, and its novelty will be fully understood from the following description and claims, when taken in connection with the annexed drawings; and the objects of my invention are to provide a life-boat which will return to its original position if capsized, and if lled with water will empty itself, and, should a hole or openingbe made in the hull of the boat, will not go to the bottom, thereby giving greater security from loss of life. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l isa side View. Fig. is a top sectional view. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. i is a crosssectional view.

Similarletters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings, A refers to a false keel, which is thin in the front or bow portion of boat and thick in the back or stern of boat, and is preferably made of heavy iron.

B represents compartments placed at each end of the boat, made of metal, and are filled with compressed air, and should the boat capsize, the keel being constructed of iron or other heavy metal and the compartments B being filled with air, it will return to its original or normal position.

IWI are water-tight compartments and form sections. These partitions are made of wood and covered with metal, and are so placed in position that if a hole is made in the hull of the boat only one section will be filled with water.

II is a deck, over which is placed latticework, as shown by N.

D indicates a longitudinal opening, which occupies a central position7 as illustrated, and leads from the deck II to the bottoni of the boat, whereby any water washed over the sides of the boat will drain back into the sea.

Arranged longitudinally in the longitudinal opening D and attached at intervals tothe side walls thereof are downwardly-disposed inclined strips E F G, which serve in a measure to prevent the sea from washing up into the boat and at the same time allow the water which has washed over the sides of the boat to drain back into the sea.

L indicates downwardly-disposed inclined openings formed in the sides of the boat above the deck II, which openings afford an additional drain for the water which washes over the sides of the boat. At a point shown by I, I secure seats; also, at each end of boat are halfcircularshaped seats, as shown byK.

In practice the boat is placed in the water in the usual manner, dotted lines showing draft of water, and should the water come in over the guard or sides of the boat it is immediately carried off through openings L and the longitudinal opening D, thus permitting an emptying of itself, and should the boat capsize it willnot remain in that position, as the compartments B, being filled with compressed air, and the weight of the keel will cause boat to turn over to its original or normal position. the center-board hole or opening D is utilized to carry off the water should the boat be filled when in storm.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a life-boat substantially as described, the combination, with the deck elevated above the bottom, of the longitudinal central opening leading from the deck to the bottom, and the longitudinally-extending downwardly-inclined strips attached to the side walls of said longitudinal opening, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witn esses.

FELIX MESSINA.

Witnesses:

JN0. DEMAEEsr, PEECY D. PARKS.

No center-board is used; butv 

